Thematic session - Accelerating the use of wood & biobased materials to decarbonize buildings

Mainstreaming the use of low-carbon materials to radically reduce the embodied carbon of buildings is an urgent priority. Wood and bio-based materials provide an important part of the solution for three reasons: carbon is sequestered as they grow; they can be substituted for more carbon intensive materials; and they can store carbon for long periods of time. Bio-based materials used in construction provide a proven, highly cost-effective, natural carbon capture and storage technology.
The monetary cost of carbon is set to rise rapidly through the introduction of carbon taxes and other carbon pricing schemes and the value of carbon removal and storage will increase as we see demand grow. Therefore increasing the use of timber and other bio-based materials for construction can also increase the economic value of forests and attract additional investment in their sustainable management and expansion through appropriate afforestation and reafforestation, creating multiple socio-economic as well as environmental benefits.
Forests are a precious resource for people, nature and carbon storage globally. For the benefits of increasing the use of timber in construction to be fully realised, and potential risks to both climate and nature mitigated, it is essential to establish a set of principles and approaches to ensure this is a holistic and genuinely sustainable solution. Centering Sustainable Forest Management is critical to achieving these outcomes.
The 2019 IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Land states that “sustainable forest management can prevent deforestation, maintain and enhance carbon sinks and can contribute towards GHG emissions-reduction goals. Sustainable forest management generates socio-economic benefits, and provides fibre, timber and biomass to meet society’s growing needs. Furthermore, “enhanced forest protection, improved forest and agricultural management, fuel-switching and adoption of efficient cooking and heating appliances can promote more sustainable biomass use and reduce land degradation, with co-benefits of reduced GHG emissions, improved human health, and reduced workload especially for women and youth.”